The Center for Cultural Experiences in Prevention aims to strengthen the capacity of community organizations and the university to provide HIV and substance abuse prevention programs and services to the Richmond area. read more...

More often than not, society associates older adulthood with decline. However, older age is linked to increased well-being and more positive affect in comparison to individuals in younger and middle adulthood. read more...

Adolescents spend a lot of time online engaging in social communication. Some of these experiences target adolescents’ racial group membership. Do these experiences impact the way adolescents interact with others? read more...

Emily Lasko

Research Lab

Faculty Adviser

I completed my bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington in 2014 and joined the doctoral program in social psychology at VCU in 2017 after completing my master’s degree in experimental psychology at Georgia Southern University. My research interests involve the darker tendencies of human nature, including psychopathy, sadism, masochism and aggressive behavior. Additionally, I am interested in the contribution of and limits to empathy within these contexts. Lastly, and importantly, I am interested in exploring the biological bases of these behaviors, and the interplay between the biological and environmental factors that contribute to the development of these stable “dark” traits and associated behaviors.